This is why I, as a member of a minority faith, am hugely NOT a fan of the White House's Faith-Based Initiatives program, and why I wish it had been thrown out with the rest of the trash left over from the Bush administration. Because when the federal government gives money to Christian churches and organizations to help them provide social services, it is often subsidizing religious discrimination.
The story is, a Muslim man volunteered with World Relief, a Christian organization that works under contract with the State Department to help settle refugees from all over the world here in the US, and they were happy to take his labor for free. However, when he applied for an actual paying job with them, they refused to accept his application, because they only hire Christians.
Frankly, I don't like it when any company makes religion a hiring criterion, and I'm glad that we have non-discrimination statutes that affect the vast majority of companies. But even if they're small enough to have the statutes not apply, for a private company, fine, whatever. I'll express my displeasure with my dollars, and take my business elsewhere. However. When it's an organization openly discriminating on basis of religion, subsidized by my tax dollars? Fuck a whole bunch of that shit. If conservative whiners can get their undies in a bunch over not wanting their tax dollars to subsidize women's medical procedures, I can get my back up about not wanting my tax dollars to pay for religious discrimination.
Government-subsidized public services can be handled through secular organizations, thanks very much. If the churches want to help out, they're welcome to, but unless they agree to abide by the same regulations as any other organization that works with the government, they do not deserve one red fucking cent of taxpayer money.
